New Jersey’s Daniel’s Law: Extending Protections To Those In Government, As Law Presently Covers Only Judges, Law Enforcement – Protect Personal Information Online

Daniel’s Law: Advocating for Expansion to Include Elected Government Officials

Editor’s note: Readers may remember when Senator Rand Paul was attacked by a neighbor, shot at during a baseball game practice, and  one of his staffers was stabbed in Washington, D.C.  He was awarded damages of $580,000 against his neighbor, and who also went to prison for 30 days and had to pay a small fine.  NPR said: “He received a 30-day sentence, in addition to a $10,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and a year of supervised release, the Bowling Green Daily News reported.”  Senator Paul had six of his ribs broken.   Rep. Angie Craig from Minnesota was attacked in her apartment complex, and her attacker was recently sentenced to 27 months in prison.  

According to NJ.gov. “Daniel’s Law was enacted in response to the tragic death of Daniel Anderl, the son of Judge Esther Salas and Mark Anderl. The law prohibits disclosure of the residential addresses of certain persons covered by the law (“Covered Persons”) on websites controlled by state, county, and local government agencies. The community of Covered Persons includes former, active, and retired judicial officers, prosecutors, and members of law enforcement and their immediate family members residing in the same household.

“With respect to Internet postings other than those on New Jersey state, county, and municipal government websites, an authorized person, as defined by law, seeking to prohibit the disclosure of the home address or unpublished home telephone number of any covered person shall provide written notice to the entity or person advising that they are an authorized person and that they are requesting that the entity or person cease the disclosure of the information and remove the protected information from the Internet or where it is otherwise made available. See, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-31.1(c) and N.J.S.A. 56:8-166.1(a)(2).”

This law only applies to New Jersey at this time. 

 

Linden, New Jersey – On July 19, 2020, the son of Judge Esther Salas, Daniel, was shot and killed in their family home by Roy Den Hollander, a Manhattan lawyer and self-described anti-feminist, who had argued a civil rights suit before Salas in court. Motivated by hate, he found the judge’s personal information, posed as a FedEx driver and rang the doorbell of the judge’s home, hoping to confront Judge Salas. Instead, Den Hollander encountered her son, Daniel, and her husband Mark, who was seriously wounded in the attack. Judge Salas was not injured. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t realize my job cost me the life of my only child,” said U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas.

To help prevent this atrocity from ever happening again, on November 20, 2020, Governor Murphy signed Daniel’s Law (P.L. 2020, c. 125) into law, which prohibits the disclosure of certain personal information of judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and their family members. The current iteration of Daniel’s Law has demonstrated a laudable commitment to safeguarding the welfare of judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and their family members.

“In light of its proven success, it is imperative to extend the purview of Daniel’s Law to also protect elected government officials and their family members, further bolstering its impact and effectiveness.” said Mayor Derek Armstead of Linden NJ.

Daniel’s Law’s expansion to include government officials would enhance their safety and reduce the risk of retaliation or harassment. Increased security fosters a more open environment in which elected officials can be comfortable making tough decisions, enabling officials to focus on their duties without fearing threats to themselves or their families. “Expanding Daniel’s Law to include elected government officials will only strengthen public service by protecting those who serve, allowing them to focus on making our communities safer.” said Mayor Derek Armstead.

Banner Image: Government building. Image Credit – Clker-Free-Vector-Images